Lethbridge is a unique market,
and although we have a huge listenership, and 3
University surveys prove that many Christians do not
support the station and haven’t for almost 6 years.
They call it a huge Bible belt, Christian base. I call
it a religious base, there’s a big difference. Unlike
our American counterparts, and there is huge proof of
this, American Christians and Canadian Christians are
so different, in attitude. In the United States two
small communities will support two small Christians
stations, but here, and all my friends who manage or
own Christians stations agree, one large city will not
support one small Christian station, and that is so
sad. We are actually supported by non-believers
because they know the strength of getting their
message across to thousands of Christians and how
faithful they are listening, which they are.
2. What is the most fulfilling aspect to you
personally about Christian radio?
The most fulfilling to me
personally about Christian radio is the positive music
and message we send to families. You know that on the
majority of Christian stations if not all of them, you
will hear a clean joke on the morning show, not sexist,
or sex comments. And even if it’s corny you will hear real
"from the heart" laughter in most cases and a positive
driven atmosphere for the family when they are
listening at any given time day or night, that is
quite a refreshing feeling in today’s shock jock radio
in many Province’s and States these days. Some think
it’s cute to hear swearing but even young non
Christian women today are fed up with the cut-downs and sex
comments – as we see in the last days changes are coming,
they are slow but coming. And finally the most
fulfilling is knowing and feeling that we are planting
seeds for people to come to Christ. Are we
successful? I know God intends us to do what we all
should be doing spreading the music and words of
Christ to the nations or in our cases, to as many
listeners in our area as possible. When people tune
in they have no idea that we are sending the Gospel of
Christ and His music to the Senior Pastors, co
pastors, youth pastors, Praise and Worship pastors,
Praise and Worship leaders, teams and congregations of over 100 or more Churches in our area alone.
Satan
doesn’t like any of us Christian stations at all, he
hates our guts, but we feel a mutual thought there or
two as well. We aren’t there to please anyone but God
and as his children we do it and try and be obedient.
3. How do you personally keep the ministry in the
business?
I don’t keep the ministry going
in the business, God does with his love,
understanding, finances and mercy and grace. There
are times I swear that I have said “Lord, what’s with
this program”. How is it you come through every time
for us, and we are scraping so bad we can barely make
payroll. But God always comes through. One person
once said to me, (when they knew we were almost going
broke), I hate these lines by the way, “it’s okay, if
God wants this station to stay alive it will”. How
many times do Christians say that to us? I told this
person and a few after, “God wants a thousand stations
on the air, one on every corner, and 20 Christian bands
in very city, don’t blame him all the time, he wants
his children to help and not sit on their duffs and
say the familiar line above, "If it’s Gods will", etc,
etc. Of course it is His will but his children are not
supporting it in finances or prayer, well at least not
some.
4. What is the criteria that determines if a song
receives airplay on your station?
We don’t have huge influence on
songs being aired. Many smaller stations like ours
are not music leaders although we have stepped out a
few times I must admit in the past going on six
years. A song on CJTS (Spirit 97 FM) gets airplay
when we check CMC and three major stations in Canada; VOAR, my friend Scott Jackson’s station LIFE 100.3 in
Barrie Ontario, and Bob Dubroy at C in Ottawa our
nations’ Capital. Then we listen to it and go from
there. It’s a very tough job (decision) when we have
40 CD’s come in a week and some are awful, and
everyone including Christians want to be heard. We
have to be like secular stations but with prayer on
deciding because everyone and their kids are making
CD’s, I’m sure glad they have the bucks.
5. What kind of promotions work best for your station?
Until we lost a ton of
revenue the past 2 years, we have been even more of a
promotional station than the secular ones in our
area. Where we are in Lethbridge, we have six
stations and 3 TV stations, including Canada’s first
Christian television station the Miracle Channel which
although is Canada wide now and will soon be in the United
States. It is based in Lethbridge Alberta.
6. How do you think Christian Record labels can better
serve Christian radio?
I think Christian labels can
serve a great purpose, but to be blunt and I always
am, I have been in music myself, 12 string and
electric guitar and lead vocals since I was 14.
Things have changed radically. Now some artists, yes
even Christian ones, are to much into themselves and think
they don’t have to PR. WRONG! You need like the old
days, to get out and promote yourself, your wife,
husband, and even if you're backed by a big agent, GET
OUT and introduce yourselves. PR, promote your CD or
you; I know this is not scriptural but it still works,
and I believe it to be true, God helps those who help
themselves. You can’t make a CD, sit around all day
and pray, “Oh God make me a hit please. It’s like
sitting around all day after job hunting and saying,
“Oh gee God, that stupid phone hasn’t been ringing at
all and I prayed for a job. Get out and promote
yourself, sell yourself to the radio/TV media,
promoters, don’t sit on your posterior exterior, get
out and do something.
7. In your opinion what are the biggest obstacles
facing Christian radio today?
In my opinion the biggest
obstacle facing Christian radio today? Well many
things. The rules of the government, human rights
even under Christian leaders, which both countries
have right now, need to be changed. You have George
W. Bush who prays over everything he does and that has
been proven and written, and our new Prime Minister
Harper also Christian, but not as deep as Bush, who has
top morals about running the country. Problem is,
there are so many people who are opposed to Christian
prayer in schools, now a big no no, and many other
religions are allowed to voice their opinions
but Christians (also recognized) as a religion we have
no say it seems. So that is a huge obstacle. I think
in Canada we have to have a ton of rules unlike the
U.S. to run a Christian station. If we run Dobson or
someone else like Dr. Jeremiah, we have to counter it with a
balance program which here means run a program of
Jewish decent or some other which is absolutely absurd
but nevertheless has to be done. I think it's
ridiculous. At least in the U.S. your Christian
stations have more freedom than here. Most on the CRTC like your FCC have no radio experience whatsoever
and are all bureaucratic and a lot is plain socialism.
The last big obstacle facing Christian radio today
besides freedom is support. If our own Christians at
least here in Canada can’t support us then why are we
even bothering playing radio. I believe it is what
God wants us to do regardless. We can’t just stop
fighting until God’s army wins but it is very tough if
the support from Christians is weak, and it is.
8. What do you believe is the primary role of the
Christian radio air personality today?
The primary role of the Christian
radio air personality today is to show love, and share
stories, jokes on air, which is God’s GREATEST
medicine, and the music of his children that reflects
back to a soothing, loving, blessed feeling when
listened to. The programs and Christian music
which bring new people to Christ, that’s what we are
supposed to do, not sit in Church every Sunday and
warm the pews. Get out and be contagious in Jesus, or
in Christian radio cases do it from our airwaves.
This is not just a radio station to me playing
Christian music, it is a ministry unto itself. It
takes prayer warriors to help employees, volunteers
and relatives and friends so that the
all-Christian radio stations can always be covered by
prayer. Our small station 97 Spirit FM starts it’s
day off every day without fail in going on six years
with prayer, and no Christian TV or radio station
should be without it ever. Some should even have
daily intercessors praying for it. If you can imagine
what a Priest or Pastor must go through with enemy
attacks, imagine what we go through as leaders running
and operating Christian radio, playing the music and
putting out the Gospel of Jesus over the airwaves. Satan doesn’t like us, of course we don’t like him
either, but he will keep trying and using people and
things and equipment to do his best.
9. What (if any) other Christian radio stations do you
consider as innovators today?
Well, I think WAY FM is one, as well to give
equal billing to K-LOVE, and the reason is they are
expanding with a chain all over the U.S. None have
been as successful. In Canada we have a number of
stations and with exception to a few are all
independent but broke. There are a few big chain
organizations that own a couple of Christian stations,
but nothing in Canada like WAY FM or K-LOVE that have
bought stations and repeaters all over to spread
Christian radio here like the States. The major
reason this has never happened is the tough Religious
(they call it) rules from the CRTC. The FCC at least
is more lenient with Christian radio big time than
here. We are always fighting for things and it will
be many years before this finally stops. You have
overdone rules here in Canada, which prevents people
wanting to bother with Christian radio. Yes it’s
getting better but a long way to go still.
10. Where do you see Christian radio in 5 years?
I see Christian radio in five
years from now in more towns and cities in the U.S.
but in Canada still only a couple of dozen to do the
rules which some days give me a migraine. In the
biggest cities in Canada we don’t even have Christian
radio. Vancouver B.C. – Montreal Quebec, Toronto
Ontario to name a few. We had one for 4 ½ years in
Vancouver B.C. and it went broke. I pray Christian
radio in Canada becomes even more evident and spreads
rapidly like our U.S. brothers and sisters in
Christian radio. I pray this big time. I myself have
sold my station and with CRTC approval which after
lengthy hearings may grant the owner to go ahead (he
owns 26 stations) or they may not, who knows with the CRTC. But I am going on to consult
and try to start more
stations in my spare time, yes I charge a fee for that,
it isn't free. I may also decide to move to Oregon or
NC. If you would like to contact me or if you need a
good morning man for your Christian station and an
almost former owner in Christian radio, please e-mail
me at
terry@terryfleming.net or
terry@spiritfm.ca thanks for the plug Ted.
God bless all who listen, support or want to start a
Christian radio station. Please don’t ever think for
a moment that it’s a cool ride. Easy to do. It’s
hard work and long hours but Praise be to God right?